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Tuesday, January 18, 2011

2011 Scion tC Reviews

2011 Scion tC ReviewsAn affordable sports coupe? No, not if the coupe in question is Scion's tC. Length, wheelbase, and height are unchanged, but the new car is 1.6 inches wider, allowing a wider track and larger wheels tires, and brakes.

The new Scion tC is designed around the driver, but passengers, even rear-seat passengers, are also given lots to like. -- The 2011 Scion tC uses Toyota's Star Safety System, a combination of antilock brakes (four-wheel disc in this case), electronic brake force distribution (EBD), brake assist (BA), traction control, and vehicle stability control (VSC). VSC can be switched off for high-performance driving. Win-win! Thanks to the engine's lovely torque, it works very well, and showcases the "Scion tC" gentler side.

Toyota’s youth-oriented Scion brand is growing up, ever so slightly, refining its popular flagship Scion tC model for 2011. Currently the Scion tC boasts the youngest buyer in the industry with an average age of just 26 years old, and while Scion wants to maintain that core group of younger buyers, they’re also looking to bring in some slightly older customers (including second-time buyers) with a long list of small but important improvements.Closer inspection, however, reveals the new model’s design appears longer with more of a true coupe profile. Surprisingly, the new Scion tC is actually identical in length to the old model, and it shares the same overall height.

Along with the power-bump, the sporty driving experience has been enhanced thanks to the wider track, an upgraded suspension and larger 18-inch wheels with wider 225 tires. One pleasant surprise is the electric power steering system. In the performance (and safety) category, Scion also upgraded the brakes on the "2011 Scion tC " . A final performance note is the mostly irrelevant traction control system.

The setup reminds us of the Volkswagen GTI and speaks to the slightly higher demographic Scion is after with the second-gen Scion tC .

Features include eight airbags, the aforementioned traction control and vehicle stability control, a tire pressure monitoring system as well as a brake override system--In all ways the 2011 Scion tC is a fitting sequel to a car that put Scion on the map.No, you don’t have to love discordant music played at ear splitting levels to love the new Scion tC .

Scion has improved a sound package in every way, from engine, to suspension, to appearance. Part of the improvement is attributable to the fact that both the manual and automatic gearboxes now contain 6 speeds, instead of 5 for the stick and 4 for the automatic in the earlier version Scion tC.2011 Scion tC show with option TRD packageFirst trip, in a Black coupe equipped with automatic gearbox (Base Price $19,275) and uprated Alpine stereo, proved the new engine’s torque characteristics are well mated to the sequential shift transmission. The automatic Scion tC is a lively combo, with decent handling, comfortable ride, low wind noise, and excellent cockpit ergonomics. The new flat-bottom, fat-rimmed steering wheel is a pleasure to use, the driver-angled center instrument stack is easy to read and operate, thanks to 3 large, knurled knobs for the HVAC system. If sporting inclinations are foremost, you’ll love the Scion tC we drove next. This manual transmission model (Base Price $18,275), finished in a newly available shade called Magnetic Gray Metallic, had optional TRD sway bars front and rear, plus a TRD “performance” muffler. Whereas the black tC was shod with very noisy Toyo Proxes A20 tires, the Granite coupe rode on vastly quieter Yokohama Avid S34 tires. There’s no reason why Release 2 of the Scion tC won’t handily outsell Release 1.